Tag Archives: spike lee

If aliens arrived, and they asked you about black culture in the United States… and YOU are the only ambassador. Well… clearly not you. But me. We can all agree this isn’t the best option, but it is what we have to deal with. No pressure. Here is what I hand them:

A book

soul on ice > Eldridge Cleaver. Eldridge Cleaver as a leader in the black panther party. You need to learn about them, they were AMAZING. They were a ‘black power’ group, but did this by taking over their own neighborhoods. Food drives, shoe drives… etc. Wait, you say – didn’t they shoot white cops? Nope. Geronimo Pratt’s sentence was finally overturned and he was set free. Pratt was jailed in the early 70s for shooting cops. But, he didn’t. He was set up by the cops. Turns out the witnesses were cops who were lying. Pratt did almost 30 years for that bullshit. Same with Hurricane Carter. It’s no wonder why black people hate you. I hate me already!

So a brief primer on the Panthers, whom I love. It was started by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. In this time, in Northern California… blacks were getting majorly hassled. This was happening everywhere, in here they took a stand. Huey Newton, the leader, knew law. He LOVED law. He would follow cops, and when would pull over and harass black folks, he would stand there and tell them their rights. “you don’t have to answer that”. Or “ask if you are being detailed, and do NOT allow them to search your person or vehicle. You have rights!” Huey was known to carry a rifle in one hand, and a law book in the other. Is there a better symbol of America than that?

Yeah, he really did that. He ran around at night and advised his poor black community peers of their rights against the white racist cops. Well, the cops hated that, as you can imagine. Nixon made them public enemy number 1.
Eldridge became a leader in the group shortly after. According to Eldridge, he was very high up… possibly even #3 (behind Bobby and Huey). This book is Eldridge’s diary while he was in prison for something or other. Before you read it, know that Eldridge is a big fan of Eldridge. Did you read Clinton’s biography? It’s kinda like that. These guys LOVE themselves. Still, though, it is an AMAZING read and opened my eyes to black culture and contributions beyond what my middle class upbringing would provide.

Bobby also wrote a book, called ‘Seize the Time’. Sadly, it isn’t as good. Know that Bobby was a MUCH bigger figure historically than Eldridge… but Eldridge is a hell of a writer. Eldridge even strikes me as a guy who probably refers to himself in the third person. Still worth it, though.

Side note – Bobby is still alive (unlike Huey and Eldridge). With the passing of Nelson Mandela… Bobby Seale might be the greatest living black activist… or a very close tie to Harry Belafonte.

A movie

It is a real and genuine tragedy there is no good Black Panther movie. Man, would that make an amazing film. It has everything. I imagine young blacks know about MLK, and perhaps a bit about Malcom X (another amazing memoir, and also a bit of a hagiography)… but I bet few know about the story of the Black Panthers. Or worse, possibly the perception that the white power structure put out – that they were thugs and gangs and anti white and cop shooters. Listen, here is the thing… just because they are pro-black… it does not mean (to me anyway) they are anti white. Speaking of movies and Malcolm X, I very much enjoyed the Denzel movie. I think he did a terrific job.

Sorry, I got diverted. I think Spike Lee’s movie ‘Do the Right Thing’. It’s a great story. Kinda funny, my only memory of the cast is Danny Aiello (the one white guy). I don’t much care for Spike, though. I think he is totally racist. However, he is honest and upfront about his opinions. Here is when I turned on him… or when he turned on us. He was being interviewed for something, by someone, about making a shit ton of money on something or other and the reporter asked how he would spend the windfall. Spike got all butt-hurt and demanded “would you ask a white man that?”. Yeah. Yeah we would. It was an interview… about all the money you made… where we ask you questions… about the money you made. No hidden agenda here, man.

Can I add one more thing? It sure wouldn’t be a Tyler Perry movie. Those movies are so stereotypie that my stereotypographometer® just exploded. Maybe if the aliens asked ‘how about a movie about what black people think white people think about black people’.

An album

Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland. This album is an insano masterpiece of songwriting and engineering. This is the last record from Jimi (in his life he only did 3). There isn’t much pop on here. No ‘Foxy Lady’, or ‘Purple Haze’. No sir. This fucker goes deep. To listen to the album optimally, I would recommend really good headphones, an ocean, and a shit ton of LSD. Not sure that is what you should do, but it worked for me. What was it Hunter said “I never advocated drugs, violence, alcohol, or insanity… but they always worked for me”. Here is my favorite song of all.

oh, there is also this one. Like this one a lot. Side note, this album has Jimi’s highest charting hit… and it was a cover.

A poem

You expect me to give you some Maya Angelou. I wish I could. I am sure it’s great. I never read any. From afar, it looked boring and preachy. I am not proud of that, just being honest. Let’s go deeper, crackers. I am a lit guy, and I had a great lit teacher who turned me on to WEB DuBois. Dig this gem, from around 1900

In Living Color, the Wayans family. So funny, and so aggressive and silly at the same time… about race issues. That show was brilliant. That show did what I think Tyler Perry is trying to do but can’t… let black people celebrate their differences and laugh about cultural variances. This can be done playfully bouncing off stereotypes… without beating them to death. I have never seen on of the 13 ‘Madea’ movies… but I will bet my life there is a scene in every one where she is sweating in a pentecostal church with a fan saying things like ‘oh lawdy lawdy lawdy’. I bet she threatens to ‘whoop a lot of ass’. Perry, you are to blacks what Adam Sandler is to whites. Don’t over think that, it just wanted to see what it looked like in print.